Alex Eala jumps to new career-best No. 53 in Women’s Tennis Assn.

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA soared to a new career-best ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association ahead of the resumption of her campaign in the WTA250 Guangzhou Open starting today.

From No. 54, Ms. Eala improved to No. 53 despite an early exit in the WTA250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open last week.

Ms. Eala has now 1,131 points after productive campaigns in the United States, South America and Asia to move closer to a coveted Top-50 placing.

The 20-year-old Filipina absorbed a 6-1, 6-2 loss to qualifier Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic in an upset last week, making the Guangzhou Open perfect chance for sweet revenge.

Ms. Eala is the No. 4 seed in the 32-player main field, awaiting an opponent from the ongoing qualifying rounds.

While still on deck for the singles, Ms. Eala will mark her return to the doubles play for the first time since a first-round exit in the Wimbledon with Eva Lys of Germany last July.

She teams up with WTA doubles No. 58 Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine against the fourth-seeded pair of Great Britain’s Emily Appleton (No. 80) and China’s Qianhui Tang (No. 69) at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Ms. Eala is No. 207 in the doubles division of the WTA, where her campaign will continue in the Hong Kong Open on Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 after her Guangzhou stint for her second title bid.

The lefty ace won her first ever WTA crown last month in the WTA125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico on the heels of her milestone as the first Filipina winner in any Grand Slam main draw at the US Open.

That run led to her multiple deep runs in South America and in China leading up to a possible national team return for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand.

Winner of three bronze medals in the 2022 SEAG in Vietnam, Ms. Eala is also slated to play in her first tournament at home when the country hosts a WTA Tour leg early next year to be branded as the Manila or Philippine Open. — John Bryan Ulanday